The president of the Spanish Football Federation, Luis Rubiales, was criticized on Sunday for kissing striker Jenni Hermoso on the mouth during the awards ceremony after La Roja crowned them in the Spanish Cup final. world (1-0).
Published on: 08/20/2023 – 21:10Modified on: 08/21/2023 – 13:54
2 mn
It is an image that tarnishes the dazzling success of the Women’s World Cup in terms of audiences and representation. Spanish Football Federation president Luis Rubiales is under fire for kissing striker Jenni Hermoso on the mouth after La Roja’s coronation on Sunday August 20.
Footage shot on the podium at Sydney’s ANZ Stadium clearly shows Rubiales kissing the player on the mouth while holding her head. Taken up by Spanish media, they spread like wildfire on social networks, sparking numerous criticisms of Rubiales.
“I didn’t like it, huh!”
The Spanish No.10 seems to have taken the incident lightly, declaring in an Instagram live broadcast from the locker room “I didn’t like it, huh!” before smiling at the camera.
The press then received, via the Spanish Federation, additional statements from the player: she then speaks of “a totally spontaneous mutual gesture because of the immense joy that the victory of a World Cup brings”.
“The president and I have a great relationship, his behavior with all of us was perfect and it was a natural gesture of affection and gratitude,” she added.
“It’s a spontaneous celebration, which manifests itself like this. The two are very close friends,” a source within the Federation told AFP.
“Only a yes is a yes”
The Minister for Equality of the Spanish government, Irene Montero, for her part denounced the attitude of Luis Rubiales on the social network X. “We should not consider that giving a kiss without consent is a thing ‘that happens’. It is a form of sexual violence that we women experience on a daily basis and so far invisible, and that we cannot normalize.It is the duty of all of society.With consent at the center of everything. Only a yes is a yes.”
Sexual violence, especially less intense ones, continues to be invisible and normalized, but it is necessary to call it by its name in order to put an end to it. It is not just machismo, abuse of power or a sexist act: it is sexual violence.
— Irene Montero (@IreneMontero) August 21, 2023
Some Spanish newspapers initially believed in a remake of the formalization of the relationship between goalkeeper Iker Casillas and journalist Sara Carbonero, who kissed live after Spain’s world title in 2010.
The kiss of the president of the Federation is part of a heavy context within the Spanish selection. Players have been denouncing for months the methods deemed “dictatorial” of the coach, Jorge Vilda, who enjoys the unwavering support of his president.
Luis Rubiales, in office since 2018, was also accused of having organized orgies with Federation money last September.
With AFP
